Social Work at Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $39,041/yr (7% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (24% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (116,900 openings/yr)

ROI 8.1x earnings multiple (4.6x out-of-state)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Social Work graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$522K	$522K	$498K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	8.1x	8.1x	7.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	4.6x	4.6x	4.4x
Probability of Field Employment	70%	69%	58%
DegreeOutlook Score	44	43	52

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$64,084

Out-of-state: $112,344 (4.6x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$75,984

-19% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$24,890

7.7 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$50,809

30% growth from Year 1

A 89% acceptance rate means Illinois State University is accessible to most applicants, with a mid-sized student body of 18,414 in Normal, IL.

Social and community service managers $78,240/yr

Social work teachers, postsecondary $76,210/yr

Social workers, all other $69,480/yr

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

What does a 43/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Social Work at Illinois State University?

At 43/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Social Work programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →